Is It Time To Surrender??

[meme6253]

There was a post here last week or the week before, A real doom & gloom about what if everything just stopped, It;s looking more & More like that with sales, Be Honest who is thinking about or will be Throwing in the towel, Raising the white flag, Putting their arms up & Calling I Surrender??, I'm not yet but i am contemplating about it, I don't want to be here just giving ebay money

[wrong66]

Been watching the coin auctions, too. Crazy prices. You'd never know the economy is struggling.

[vintagecraze50]

Though we may be facing a real recession there are still wealthy people who will not be affected one bit by this current economy, they never lack in any kind of financial crisis as they know how to move their dough around. Be certain that those people will still be buying non essential goods. Certainly a good move for ebay to appeal to the high rollers on their ridiculously high priced handbags, watches, trading cards etc, those people will still be here and they will buy other things as well.

[joseh1445]

That's awesome that you are doing great.  Keep on doing what you have been doing.

[vintagecraze50]

Good, that’s the time we should be looking forward to a much better return.  The summer months are always rather slow here anyway at least for us, people being cooped up for soooo long with Covid going out now to shop and spend on travel. It could get a lot better holiday season. Good luck Cottage.

[yuzuha]

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@wrong66 wrote:

You'd never know the economy is struggling.

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I'm really not sure why people keep saying that because I'm absolutely not seeing it at all. Pretty much everyone I know got either a raise, a better job or both during the pandemic. I have two friends who graduated from college in May and they had great jobs lined up before they had even actually graduated-- they said they got barraged with requests for interviews from multiple companies when they posted their resumes online. One friend left a job she hated for a new job that paid her a 50% higher salary and had better benefits. Another friend had a job pay for her to relocate halfway across the country. Heck, even my local Target is offering $24/hour to start.

[lakefor94]

With 2500+ listings, what does it take to keep that afloat? Isn't it $60 a month for a premium store that now gets 10,000 listings?

2,500 listings is a lot to flush unless you are down to what just won't sell. 

[vintagecraze50]

As I ponder this, I am here in St George Utah where I see thousands of 1 to 2 million dollar homes, and ponder the other states and towns filled with 1 to 2 million dollar homes and know that THOSE people are not going to stop buying anything they want. LOL!

[glasser]

Surrender no, Diversify selling venues, yes.

I am a part time seller of about 70-80 items ($20-25K a year). I sell selective items that I know there is a buyer base for, I use no reserve auctions 90%+ of the time so have 100% sell through rate.

All that said, eBay is not the marketplace it once was for what I sell-antique and collectible glass (mostly). It used to be "the only" place to sell such items online. Sadly, no more. 

Now I sell privately to collectors and dealers (sometimes with 0% fees 🙂 ), I use auction houses that sell online, and have experimented a bit selling via groups on social media.  For me it's can i find something that I know will do well on eBay and I can clear at least a 25% profit. That's getting harder and harder as fees and shipping costs have risen (not only eBay but getting items to me as well).

Changes like the new listing form, fee increases, category eradication, and the focus of management chasing trends--sneakers, trading cards etc., without shoring up core business or investing in bringing new buyers has me worried about eBay's future.

Don't even get me started on the warehouse idea. eBay promoting collectibles as an investment is a losing proposition and lets just say their timing is going to prove to be disastrous. 

[my-cottage-books-and-antiques]

@vintagecraze50  Thanks. I'd love to be selling a lot right now, but summer is usually slow for selling but good for sourcing, and I'd prefer to be stocked for Q4 rather than do nothing now and then find myself rushing to get stuff listed in the middle of the Holiday season. 

[simply-the-best-for-you]

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@yuzuha wrote:

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@wrong66 wrote:

You'd never know the economy is struggling.

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I'm really not sure why people keep saying that because I'm absolutely not seeing it at all. Pretty much everyone I know got either a raise, a better job or both during the pandemic. I have two friends who graduated from college in May and they had great jobs lined up before they had even actually graduated-- they said they got barraged with requests for interviews from multiple companies when they posted their resumes online. One friend left a job she hated for a new job that paid her a 50% higher salary and had better benefits. Another friend had a job pay for her to relocate halfway across the country. Heck, even my local Target is offering $24/hour to start.

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I'm with  you, I just talked to someone today who's 30 yo daughter just got a raise to 110K a year before bonuses.  Now her dad was complaining about paying $3 more for lunch LOL, but he can afford it.  A lot of people are complaining about gas prices, but at least among people I know, no one has changed their habits.  Someone else I know just is taking 6 vacations this Summer.  House prices around here are going through the roof, to the point I wish I could be more mobile & sell.  Other than gas prices, I don't see a lot of downturn in my area or to my business.  

[richard1rst]

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@meme6253 wrote:

There was a post here last week or the week before, A real doom & gloom about what if everything just stopped, It;s looking more & More like that with sales, Be Honest who is thinking about or will be Throwing in the towel, Raising the white flag, Putting their arms up & Calling I Surrender??, I'm not yet but i am contemplating about it, I don't want to be here just giving ebay money

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Not a chance.

I remember the movie Grand Prix. It is what Formula 1 used to be called.

In it, a character played by Yves Montand witnesses a horrific crash. At the end of the race a reporter asks Yves what goes through his mind when he sees such a terrible crash. He replies “I put my foot down - hard - because I know everyone else is lifting theirs”.

To put that in perspective - I remember (and survived) Jimmy Carter’s stagflation, recession, soaring interest rates, gas shortages, long lines, and general political incompetence. They say history repeats itself. Hello Biden.

There was a book written by one of the sons of Theodore Roosevelt. Truly a Man’s Man. He described the main lesson of his father: When there is a problem blocking your way you find a way over it, around it, through it, or under it. You do not depend on someone else to clear it for you. And you never let it block your path.

The source of the phrase in inconclusive. But we all know it.

This too shall pass.

[moondogblues]

"Still in recovery."

Best wishes from the COLD Pacific Northwest.  Come on Summer!  Oh....about 20 minutes from now.  YAY!!!

[moondogblues]

"To put that in perspective - I remember (and survived) Jimmy Carter’s stagflation, recession, soaring interest rates, gas shortages, long lines, and general political incompetence. They say history repeats itself. Hello Biden."

No need to get political...

[forward-motion]

Not me, still going strong. I don't "give" eBay any money. All fee's are past on to the buyer. That's how it works. This forum is full of the gloom and doom people who blame everything but themselves. 

[drinkwine1204]

Sales down for me but not giving up. The way I figure it, at least I have a chance at selling items when they are listed here. If I give up, no sales will come as no one is going to come to my door and shop in my back bedroom.

Head high, we all experience ups and downs. This will pass.